Local Elections Hit Close to Home

by Charles Condro, Jabberwock Staff Reporter

On November 4, 2008, America held an election that made waves around the world. While some of the national results may not have a direct effect on the school, the ripples from the local elections will have lasting effects on MLWGS.

In the second district, Ms. Kim Gray defeated the incumbent Ms. Lisa Dawson for the school board seat. While the school may have lost a supporter in Ms. Dawson, Ms. Gray said that she will support MLWGS.

“We have people at every end of the extreme. Maggie Walker is one of our assets,” said Ms. Gray. “I wholeheartedly support Maggie Walker Governor's School as well as other programs of academic rigor. I would like to be in a position to purchase any slots that may open up at Maggie Walker for students from Richmond Public Schools.”

This seat was of particular importance to MLWGS, as Ms. Dawson had been the member of the MLWGS Regional School Board.

The chair will probably appoint someone they approve of [to fill Dawson’s spot on the MLWGS Regional Board],” said Ms. Gray. “And I will definitely volunteer for that position.”

In the eighth school board district, former MLWGS sophomore and junior guidance counselor Ms. Dawn Page beat out Mr. Charles Willis. Like Ms. Gray, Ms. Page also says that she will promote funding for MLWGS.

“I will continue to support funding for MLWGS,” said Ms. Page. “MLWGS is a wonderful learning environment for all to explore endless educational opportunities.”

On the city council, Mr. Charles Samuels won the second district, the only spot in which the incumbent did not run. Mr. Samuels ran against Mr. Patrick Kjellberg and Mr. Tyron Bey. While Mr. Samuels will not have a day-to-day influence on decisions made regarding the school, he will still play an integral role in deciding the future of MLWGS.

"As council deals with funding instead of policy when it comes to the schools,” said Mr. Samuels. “I look forward to reviewing the proposed school budget and how it will affect Maggie Walker.”

In the mayoral race, the official results released Wednesday show that Mr. Dwight Jones is the mayor-elect. The results were delayed due to the counting of ballots, specifically absentee ballots.

While some students do not know the policies of the newly elected officials who will have a direct effect on MLWGS, they do understand the gravity of the situation.

“The local elections will have a great influence on Maggie Walker,” said Fisher Guthrie (’12). “I wish I could have voted, but sadly I am not eighteen.”

Local Elections: Results Reassuring

Election Day has come and gone.

In the wake of November 4, we have been bombarded with non-stop media analysis of a seemingly never-ending Presidential race. It seems that the media does not really know what to cover now that the leading story of two years has finally died.

For the past week, Virginia and Richmond’s spotlight has centered on President-elect Obama, Senator-elect Warner, and the phenomenon of Virginia as a “blue state.”

Yet these national political changes pale in comparison to the daily importance of our local election results.

On Tuesday of last week, several thousand votes determined the future of Richmond City’s government and schools.

In the issues leading up to November 4, the Jabberwock featured in-depth reports on four Richmond City local elections that had some direct tie to MLWGS.

Now that the results of these four elections have been announced, the time has come for some analysis.

Let’s turn to the mayoral election.

We are now faced with Delegate Jones, an interesting yet enigmatic character. Jones’ policies still remain a bit hazy. At one mayoral forum this year, Jones danced around the question of proposed affirmative action for MLWGS, saying “we have got to have the leadership that requires that there is diversity in all places.”

But Reverend Jones is a man of faith, and for the moment he deserves our support.

In Richmond’s Eighth District School Board race, former MLWGS guidance counselor Dawn Page was victorious. Ms. Page should be commended for her hard work, determination, and initiative in this campaign.

Ms. Page will bring strong leadership, fresh ideas, and a beaming smile to City Hall when she takes her post in January. Be sure to send her your congratulations at page4schoolboard@yahoo.com.

Richmond City’s Second District, which encompasses MLWGS, ushered in two new representatives this year. On both the council and school board, two new faces will represent the residents of district two.

We are in good hands with Councilman-elect Charles Samuels. His experience as a legal mediator, an attorney, and a lifelong community leader will serve our city well. Samuels’ close relationship with departing Councilman Bill Pantele will allow for a smooth transition and we can look forward to a productive four years under his leadership.

In January, a new face will also appear on the MLWGS Regional Board. Richmond representative Lisa Dawson, also a MLWGS parent, was unsuccessful in her bid for re-election.

Although not automatically appointed to our Regional School Board, Richmond board member-elect Kim Gray is committed to our community, and she is ready to lead. Gray plans to ask the new Richmond School Board Chairman if she could serve on our Regional Board.

As an Appomattox Regional Governor’s School parent, Ms. Gray knows the benefits of the Governor’s School programs and is looking forward to helping lead our school as well.

In a recent Jabberwock interview, Gray referred to MLWGS as an asset for the city, saying “I wholeheartedly support Maggie Walker.”

Run, Dragons, Run!

by Karthik Ilakkuvan, Jabberwock Staff Reporter

Maggie Walker is known for achieving many awards. Debate, Drama, BOB Squad, Virginia Math League, Model Congress, and Model United Nations - without fail, MLWGS’ clubs and activities bring prestige and honor to the school.

Rarely, though, is MLWGS recognized for its athletic prowess. Underneath the rough exterior of AP Calculus BC, AP Physics, and AP US History, resides an untouched beast. A beast that has awakened in full force this year, bringing three Maggie Walker sports teams to states.

Field Hockey
Game: Maggie Walker Girls Field Hockey
Time: Thursday, 3:00 P.M.
Place: National Training Center, Virginia Beach
Cost: $8
Opponent: 21-1 Lake Braddock
Goal: Destruction

Don’t let that 16-4 record fool you – Maggie Walker Field Hockey is much better than its .750 season shows. Returning to the state tournament after a five year hiatus, the Green Dragons are hungry and ready to pounce.

A stellar defense and a rejuvenated offense should help the Green Dragons today against their state tournament foes. After suffering a tough 3-0 loss to Thomas Dale in the regional finals, Maggie Walker is looking for revenge… this time against a Northern Region champion – Lake Braddock.

They should be on even playing fields with Lake Braddock, though, as they both played their regular seasons on grass. As most northern Virginia teams play their games on turf (as the state tournament will be played on), they tend to have an advantage, but Maggie Walker has been practicing on the local VCU turf, readying themselves for their first state tournament in half a decade.

A win sends them into Friday’s semifinal match. A loss? Well, we’ll take pride in a season well fought.

Cross Country

Underdogs.

That one word defines the Maggie Walker Girls Cross Country team’s chances during the state tournament. Qualifying first in the region, the Green Dragons were ranked sixth based on their running times.

“We were the mega-underdogs,” said Clarissa Schick (’10). “We pretty much showed everybody who’s boss.”

Led by co-captains Susannah Piersol (’09) and Caroline Vines (’09), the Green Dragons placed an astounding second at the state tournament, tying the school’s best showing ever. With their top six runners going under 20 minutes (that’s really, really good), the Cross Country team was on fire. On top of that, three runners ran their personal best times – Caroline Newcowb (’10), Anna Spiers (’11), and Emily Bird (’10). If these accolades weren’t enough, Katie Ardiff (’10) and Piersol were also chosen to second-team all state. Rena Hamzey (’10) rounds out the Green Dragons’ top runners.

“Placing second is a really big accomplishment given the size of our school,” said Vines.

For states, the girls sprayed their hair with glitter.

“It was a method of pumping us up,” said Vines.

Obviously it worked, with the girls making school history, and Maggie Walker establishing themselves as an athletic school to be reckoned with.

The MLWGS basketball team conditions during tryouts. Winter sports began tryouts on Monday. Photo by Charles Condro.

Music's in the Air

By Gabriella Cifu, Jabberwock Staff Reporter

This weekend while browsing through Macy’s in Washington, D.C., I heard my first holiday song of the season, Winter Wonderland. While I love holiday music, it is much too early for it to be played in stores, or anywhere else for that matter.

The winter holidays are over a month away, over four weeks for people to hear the same songs over and over again.

With Thanksgiving still approaching, people are not yet ready to get into the holiday season. They will enjoy the holiday season less if it extends over several months.

While I think it is fine for stores to slowly start selling seasonal items as Christmas shoppers begin to filter in, they do not to need to center every aspect of the store around the distant holidays. For those who express concerns with how fast time passes, we certainly rush the holiday season.

Even if all stores have not yet started playing holiday music, singers have had holiday albums out for months. Some artists use the opportunity to gain fame, some to rekindle fame, and others to continue their recent fame.

Mandisa, a season five contestant on American Idol, used the season to debut her new album, It’s Christmas. Revisiting both traditional holiday songs, as well as creating some of her own, Mandisa has a beautiful, powerful voice, that makes her songs enjoyable to listen to, but does not ruin the traditional sounds of the songs. I particularly enjoyed her rendition of O Holy Night, and her more original duet, Christmas Makes Me Cry. Both had phenomenal vocals and had memorable arrangements. The latter was well written and was unique since it was less carol-like than many new holiday songs are.

Another American Idol contestant, Elliot Yamin, has also already come out with an album entitled My Kind of Holiday.

His attempts at traditional holiday songs, such as Jingle Bells come off as sounding too much like pop and aren’t easy melodies to enjoy.

However, his songs such as Christmas Without Carol are much more pleasant. They are mix jazz and R&B and with their catchy lyrics, make for good new releases.

Faith Hill’s album, Joy to the World, was released back in September. While certainly less original than Mandisa, her renditions of more traditional and well-known holiday songs are beautiful and relaxing to listen to.

They are excellent versions of many of the most popular classics and are easy to sing along to, as they follow the traditional melodies of the songs and have few added ornaments. While this would seem to make the songs boring, I look forward to familiarity with new holiday songs. Hill provides just that.

Finally, a holiday tune from Katy Perry has reached my ears (much to my displeasure). A White Christmas has never sounded less appealing to me. It’s one thing to sing badly.

To completely butcher the melody of the song is even worse. Once a beautiful carol, this song now sounds grim and mirthless as Perry attempts (and fails) to create a pop sounding classic.

With all this new music out, its no wonder stores are beginning to play holiday music. Still, they should wait a little longer before they truly break into holiday spirit.

As for the artists who have already begun to release major holiday albums, the songs may not pick up until closer to the season, but it looks like we will have to opportunity to hear many more holiday songs from contemporary musicians as the holiday gets closer. For now, we should all take a breath and look forward to Thanksgiving, so as not to overdo the holiday spirit too early.

The cover of Faith Hill’s new album, Joy to the World. Photo courtesy of www.countrymusicislove.com

The Pink Pranksters Strike Again

by Charles Condro, Jabberwock Staff Reporter

When Guidance Director Mr. Karl Zweerink opened his office on Friday, November 7, he was surprised to find that his office had been decorated in pink paraphernalia. The Pink Pranksters had struck!

The culprits were Mr. Zweerink’s fellow counselors, particularly senior guidance counselor Ms. Penny Deck. The pranksters had devised the idea from a comment that Mr. Zweerink had made at a staff meeting a few weeks prior.

“At a department meeting a couple of weeks ago he said that the guidance bathroom was too girly,” said Ms. Deck. “We said: if he thinks that is girly, we will show him girly.”

While Mr. Zweerink had been expecting something to celebrate his birthday, the prank caught him off his guard.

“I knew that we had some cake plans,” said Mr. Zweerink. “But I was not expecting an office makeover.”

With the help of Ms. Deck’s friend, who gave them the supplies, the pranksters decorated his room with pink rugs and blankets, as well as stuffed animals and reading material such as a Barbie Magazine.

The pranksters also decorated the bathroom with pink towels and a pink rug. They even brought a plethora of pink articles of clothing and forced Mr. Zweerink to wear them.

While it was meant as a joke, Mr. Zweerink took the incident rather hard.

“I used to feel that I could trust my colleagues, but it is going to take years to gain that trust back,” said Mr. Zweerink. “I have had nightmares… In fact, I am still nervous to come to work.”

The pranksters, however, claimed that they did it for fun.

“It was just a prank for his birthday,” said Ms. Deck. “We were just being silly.”

Mr. Zweerink’s office was decorated by his fellow guidance counselors to celebrate his birthday. Photo by Virginia Cross

Letter to the Editor: New Opportunities for Essayists

Dear Editor,

This year MLWGS will offer a unique opportunity for students to display and earn recognition for their writing talents. Each month from September to April, an in-house essay contest with a particular cultural theme will be open to all students. For the first contest, which celebrated National Latin American Heritage Month, students were to read a book by a Hispanic author and describe how the work served to heighten their sense of social awareness. Contest winner, senior, Kelly Diaz, received a certificate and a gift card to a local bookstore. In her essay, Kelly states, “The individual cultures that make up America’s melting pot are just as crucial as the unified American culture as a whole, and, for this reason, Hispanics and Americans cherish what they learn from each other.” Indeed, Kelly’s interpretation aligns with the mission of the Governor’s School, which promotes cultural examination across the globe.

Lisa Williams
AP English Teacher
MLWGS


Kelly Diaz. Photo by Danny Yates.

Opinion: Looking Forward

by Logan Ferrell ('11)

Finally, after a bitter two years of mudslinging and attack ads, the presidential campaign is finally over. Such an ordeal by necessity brings out both the best and worst of the American political system. So, with the sudden lack of a campaign issue to focus on, it seems appropriate to both look back at the consequences and look forward to options for the future.

As a summation to the end of this political season, I offer a plea for moderation and cooperation in the many trying days to come. With the election of a new president, the nation is provided with a chance, to a degree, to begin anew. While many problems of the past remain and a great many new problems are thrust upon our nation with each passing day; a new administration and a new congress have the ability to rectify and make progress. If appropriate initiative is taken, this combination in power has the potential to provide needed reform and bring new opportunities to the people. In affairs abroad, a new administration is left the responsibility of patching up for an era of ignorance and miscommunication, while still fulfilling the many commitments we have already made. The many difficulties of America’s current position require a new spirit of responsibility and practicality; it is the practicality that I fear for most.

As with every election, the recent months have brought out the most divisive and partisan within the nation. In an election dissolved into sound bites, a reasonable debate on policy inevitably turned into a trading of routine party lines and stereotypes. Now, where one party holds sway in both the executive and legislative branches, there is the constant risk of abandoning pragmatic policy for the furthering of party interest. While power may lure a new administration into a hopelessly self-interested mindset, we must remember that healthy debate between those with opposing philosophies almost always leads to a more reasonable solution for all those involved.

As the nation begins its collective countdown to inauguration, those in power must keep in mind the keys to a real and successful policy that benefits American citizens. Practical solutions, based in compromise and discussion instead of partisanship and empty promises; should always be the goal of a real American leader.